I wrote "Promised Land" in 2003. Each verse presents a different snapshot of a man dancing on the edge of destruction in a dystopian, drug-fueled paradise. As such, it's an L.A. song all the way, but I wasn't able to record it until the joint Holy Smokes/Stupid Old Heart sessions in 2013.
Stupid Old Heart charts the descent of a man from freedom to madness, by way of his heart. It is the perfect self-inflicted valentine for all the broken-hearted people who haven't yet realized they're better off alone.
Outer Space is a 1999 film by Peter Tscherkassky.
Thanks for listening.
Promised Land
It's sad
it's a shame
I lay the blame
all on you
Here she comes,
dressed in white
a different boyfriend
every night
she's a needle rollin'
in the hay
a different girlfriend
every day
she's droo-droo-droolin'
from her eyes
too stoned to realize
the paint peelin'
from her hips
or the ____ shootin'
from her lipssssstick
on the collar of a holy man
tryna hitch a ride
to the promised land
It's sad
it's a shame
I lay the blame
all on you
New tie, old suit
we're driving enroute
Tijuana, Juarez
yawanna do, baby
what I sez
so cross your heart
and hit the brakes
place your bets
and raise the stakes
I lost my virginity
in a poker game
1-2-3
It's sad
it's a shame
I lay the blame
all on you
Well I don't know,
but I been told
that the streets of hell
are paved with gold
I'm too old and you're too young
you made your point,
put down your gun
I promise you I'll never leave
I swear it on the cash
hidden in my sleeve
tomorrow you will be my wife
baby, put down that kitchen knife
It's sad
it's a shame
I lay the blame
all on you
I'm wide awake
I'll steal your heart
and your license plates
I gotta windshield made of chicken wire
jumper cables to start a fire
top down in the pouring rain
driving too fast
to remember your name
help wanted sign around my neck
I'm rollin' outta town
like a trainwreck
It's sad
it's a shame
I lay the blame
all on you
Lookin' bad
and feelin' good
I gotta harem underneath my hood
but the clouds are screechin'
to a halt
don't look at me,
it ain't my fault
I lost my money
and most of my mind
this deck of cards
drank all my wine
these dice are loaded on heroin
I will never see my face again
It's sad
it's a shame
I lay the blame
all on you
©2003 Nathan Payne
